Earth Club, a club made as an opportunity for students that want to make the school a more eco-friendly place, meets every Tuesday on Purple Days at 3:05 p.m.

The idea for Earth Club began this past fall in sponsor Mrs. Rocio Toon’s classroom after discussing climate change and how it will be irreversible in about 12 years if changes are not made.

At hearing this, Toon said, students were alarmed and ask what they could do to prevent this. Shortly after students created a petition to start Earth Club, a foundation made to encourage  recycling, mostly with plastic water bottles.

“I said to them, ‘If we’re going to do something we’ve got to get organized,’” Toon said. “If you’re this passionate about it, if you want to do something about it, I can help you.”

Currently Earth Club is brainstorming some ideas on ways they can beautify the school but don’t have any major plans as of now, but they are planning on donating a tree and adding flowers across campus.

They also want to add more trash cans around school specifically for plastic bottles.

“Most students, if they see a recycling bin, they’ll throw something in,” Toon said. “But if they have to walk all the way to the end of the school they’re not going to do it.”

Earth Club representatives, such as president, Jordan Shumard, and manager, Lannah Barbosa, have some of their own goals for the club. One goal is to establishing one day, every month, where they dedicate the entire day to picking up trash, or helping the community out in any way possible.

“A long term goal is to change the mindset of the school to become a truly eco-friendly community,” Shumard said.

Toon encourages students to recycle as she has in in her classroom. She offers a bin for water bottles, paper, and for other kinds of light plastics.

Although most of the recycling gets dropped down at the recycling center, such as bottles, most plastic and paper is given to National Honor Society, and markers go to the librarian.

Shumard has her own ways she recycles at home.

“I only purchase pre-owned clothing,” Shumard said. “It’s a form of recycling that cuts out textile waste, the use of harmful chemicals used in the production of clothes, and helps build a community of recycling.”

Earth Club believes that PN-G needs a club dedicated to celebrating and helping the Earth because they want to show how important spreading awareness is and how important protecting the  environment is.

“Well, I know that we have other clubs and groups that do their own thing,” Barbosa said. “I feel like we need Earth Club at our school because it adds the amazing things we are doing, because we’re both helping our community and planet in different ways.”